Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett

11 reviews

oberynmelonlord's review

dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Classism, Death, Rape, Violence, War, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Kidnapping, and Adult/minor relationship

schaffermi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Murder, War, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

goldenlake's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Addiction, Murder, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Stalking, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Bullying, Alcoholism, Violence, Sexism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Gore, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Dementia, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Blood, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Xenophobia, Vomit, Trafficking, War, Pregnancy, and Confinement

Minor: Colonisation, Genocide, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, and Cursing

sramac's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Infertility, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Vomit, War, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

ahinks's review

adventurous dark funny informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Rape, Torture, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Gaslighting, Death, Adult/minor relationship, War, Trafficking, and Incest

kylieqrada's review against another edition

emotional relaxing sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5 ⭐s. Not the best way to start off 2022, but I'll take it. I've read both of Ken Follett's sweeping historical epic series, and while my heart belongs to the Century Trilogy, the Pillars of the Earth is a very strong story as well. I do think that this entry added something to the saga, and it was fascinating to dive even deeper into history, this time into the Dark Ages, and see the beginnings of Kingsbridge. These books are a quiet comfort reading experience for me, which is weird to say because of my main critique of this book. I think that all of the misogyny, sexual assault, rape, slavery, abuse, homophobia, etc., while perhaps historically accurate, did get a little overwhelming and even gratuitous. I don't love trauma for trauma's sake.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Rape

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, and Pedophilia

Minor: Grief and Infertility

beanjoles's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

4.5

Amazing audio production - John Lee made the 24 hours fly by! 

This was my first Ken Follett read. I picked it up as a skip-the-line loan on a whim and I’m very glad I did! Other reviewers have mentioned that the characters don’t have a ton of depth, and that’s true, but it was still a really fun, tense, and informative listen. Spoiler for the ending:

Even though I know the ending was way too pat, with the good characters finally getting their heart’s desires and the villains finally being punished, it felt incredible to see our long suffering protagonists have something good happen to them for a change. I was thrilled by Aldred getting his bishopric and Ragna and Edgar getting, at long last, to enjoy their love and be married.

 

One of my favourite aspects of this novel was the keen attention paid to the minutiae of English life in the Dark Ages. I learned about shipbuilding, construction, and life for common peasants. It was interesting seeing the beginnings of the landlord system and how the laws regarded people of different statuses and genders. I also learned a lot about the horrors of slavery practised by the English, something I didn’t realize they’d been doing even way back then. I’d say I enjoyed the book as much for its world building as I did for the plot and characters. 

I liked this enough to put a hold on the Pillars of the Earth, and I’m excited to see where the story goes next! 

A content note: As you might expect of a book written about this era, there is a good deal of sexual violence in this book. Some of it is gratuitous to the plot but does contribute to worldbuilding (unfortunately). Id probably stay away from this book if sexual violence and r*pe are triggers for you. Examples:

Several female slaves are prostituted against their wills, and one of the protagonists is subjected to repeated rapes during a nearly year-long kidnapping that result in an unwanted pregnancy. It’s a lot!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Torture

Minor: Infertility and Suicidal thoughts

lunar_witch's review

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Slow Paced detailed historical fiction. The first two parts of the book are gripping and filled with twist and turns. But later parts  felt rushed where the story lost its rhythm.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Violence, Slavery, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Pedophilia

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Pedophilia, Sexism, and Torture

crystalmethany's review

emotional

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Infidelity, and Murder

Moderate: Body shaming, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Trafficking, Rape, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Pedophilia

Minor: Infertility and Grief

more_books_than_days's review

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

There are several graphic depictions of women in this story as victims of extreme violence and sexual assault. By the end of the book I was emotionally exhausted by the toll of this constant oppression and powerlessness, which was developed into the fabric of the story from the very beginning. 

With a cast of characters who fell into predictable tropes, either good or evil with little in between, the plot also felt predictable, and very slow moving. I ended up skipping paragraphs and skim reading many pages rather than battling through sections of prose that did little to advance the story. This was a disappointment,
 because I very much enjoyed the Pillars of The Earth trilogy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Death, Gore, and Sexism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, Suicide, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexism, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Chronic illness, Excrement, and Kidnapping

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Infidelity